New York State
Environmental Technical Working Group
2024 State of the Science Workshop
Taking an Ecosystem Approach: Integrating Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Fisheries
2024 State of the Science on
Offshore Wind Energy, Wildlife, and Fisheries
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The 2024 State of the Science, hosted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on behalf of the Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) and the Fisheries Technical Working Group (F-TWG), was held at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York from July 16-19, 2024.​
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Highlights
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The 2024 State of the Science Workshop assembled over
590 in-person and virtual stakeholders engaged with
environmental, wildlife, fisheries, and offshore wind
energy research. The workshop included 14 symposia sessions, 13 oral presentation and discussion sessions (including 2 lightning talk sessions), and 57 posters. Several side meetings and workshops were also held in conjunction with the main conference.
Presentations and discussions focused on the overarching
theme of the 2024 workshop, Taking an Ecosystem Approach: Integrating Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Fisheries.
The goals of State of the Science Workshops are to:
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Engage and inform interested stakeholders about the state of knowledge regarding wildlife and offshore wind energy development, including ongoing efforts to understand, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts
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Promote regional coordination by sharing updates on research studies, guidelines development, and other efforts in the eastern U.S. and elsewhere
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Promote collaboration through expert information exchange and discussion​​
Workshop Sessions
Scientific Program
Terms of Use for Video Links
Links to videos for each workshop session are provided below where available. These presentation files are provided for personal edification only, and should not be cited without contacting the author(s) directly.
Tuesday, July 16th
Welcome and Keynote Address
Video Link
Moderator: Kate McClellan Press, NYSERDA;
Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute
Welcome and Introductory Presentations
Harry B. Wallace, Chief of the Unkechaug Indian Nation; Sandi Brewster-Walker, Executive Director & Government Affairs Officer of the Montaukett Indian Nation; Kate McClellan Press, State of the Science Organizing and Scientific Committees, NYSERDA; Gregory Lampman, Offshore Wind Director, NYSERDA; Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA
Keynote Presentation
Climate Change and the Continental Shelf and Slope: Forcing, Ocean
Processes, and Impacts – Glen Gawarkiewicz, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Session 1 Symposium: Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
Science Plan Implementation in 2024 and Beyond
Video Link
Moderator:
Emily Shumchenia, RWSC
Organizers: Emily Shumchenia, Christian Laspada, RWSC
Introduction – Emily Shumchenia, RWSC
Regional long term archival passive acoustic monitoring coordination and
standardization – Debbie Brill, RWSC
Urgent data collection needs for sea turtles – Sue Barco, RWSC
Acoustic telemetry coordination among RWSC, ROSA, and ACT – Jordan
Katz, RWSC
Regional bird and bat monitoring coordination – Samantha Coccia-Schillo, RWSC
Synthesizing oceanographic and seafloor habitat data to create a regional
picture – Nikelene Mclean, RWSC
Session 2 Symposium: Offshore Wind Fisheries Monitoring Plan Development, Implementation, and Evolution Discussion Session
Moderators: Reneé Reilly and Mike Pol, ROSA
Organizers: Reneé Reilly and Mike Pol, ROSA
The Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) has held a series of coordination
sessions to discuss the development, implementation, and evolution of offshore
wind fisheries monitoring plans to characterize challenges and solutions, and to
understand what role ROSA could play to best serve the community as it develops
regional monitoring strategies. This symposium will offer the opportunity for a
discussion of the outcomes across sectors, including offshore wind developers,
regulators, researchers, and fishing industry representatives
Session 3 Symposium: Project WOW: Update on Project Results and Plans
Moderator:
Douglas Nowacek, Duke University
Organizers: Douglas Nowacek, Duke University; Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute; Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society; Xiaoqin Zang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Susan Parks, Syracuse University
Overview presentation – Douglas Nowacek
Q&A and panel discussion
Session 4 Plenary Presentation: Engaging the Fishing Community
to Improve Marine Science
Moderator:
Ursula Howson, BOEM
Engaging the Fishing Community to Improve Marine Science - David Bethoney, Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Session 5 Symposium: Lessons Learned from Collaborative Effects to Develop Fisheries and Benthic Monitoring Plans for Offshore Wind Farms
Moderator:
Jennifer Dupont, Equinor
Organizers: Brian Gervelis, INSPIRE Environmental, and Jennifer Dupont, Equinor
Addressing the challenges and realities of developing and executing Fisheries and
Benthic Monitoring Plans that are aligned with the 2019 BOEM recommendations for renewable energy development.
How survey designs influence study outcomes – Dara Wilber, INSPIRE Environmental
Requirements and challenges when surveying benthic habitats
and introduced hard structures – Annie Murphy, INSPIRE Environmental
Challenges and recommendations for fisheries monitoring for
offshore wind farms – Sarah Borsetti, Rutgers University
Rhode Island state perspectives on fisheries and benthic
monitoring – Julia Livermore, Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries
Challenges and solutions in executing monitoring plans – Dave Bethoney, Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Panel Discussion
Session 6 Oral Presentations: Birds and Bats - Key Research Needs and Ongoing Activities
Video Link
Moderator:
Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute
Synthetic analysis of post-construction displacement of marine birds from
wind energy areas – Juliet Lamb, The Nature Conservancy
Interannual variation in bird species, abundance, and activity at offshore wind farms – Greg Forcey, Normandeau Associates
GPS tracking of Maine’s seabirds indicates varied exposure to forthcoming offshore wind development – Dan Lyons, National Audubon Society
Application of spatial models of marine bird distributions to inform offshore wind energy development – Arliss Winship, NOAA
Regional assessment of offshore wind impacts on Aerofauna in Canada – Paul Knaga, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Wednesday, July 17th
Session 7 Oral Presentations: Hydrodynamics and Ecosystem Linkages
Video Link
Moderator:
Grace Chang, Integral Consulting
From wind to whales: potential hydrodynamic impacts of offshore wind on Nantucket Shoals region ecosystems – Kaustubha Raghukumar, Integral Consulting
Ecosystem effects of large-scale implementation of offshore wind in the North Sea – Luca van Duren, Deltares
Integrating offshore wind, wildlife, and fish: the “Predators and Prey Around Renewable Energy Developments (PrePARED) Projects – Cormac Booth, SMRU Consulting
Streamlining integration and distribution of metocean data from offshore wind operations for marine stakeholders – Tom Shyka, NERACOOS
Assessing the role of ocean currents on prey concentration from hourly to seasonal scales – Jacquelyn Veatch, Rutgers University
Session 8 Symposium: The Continued Role of Acoustics in Marine
Life Monitoring and Mitigation for the Offshore Wind Industry
Video Link
Moderators:
Sharon Whitesell, Ariana Spawn, Orsted
Organizers: Sharon Whitesell and Ariana Spawn, Orsted
Examination of acoustic monitoring techniques and applications currently being
used, with a discussion on successes and challenges to using these methods.
ECO-Gliders: An autonomous oceanographic and ecological mission to inform
offshore wind development – Josh Kohut, Rutgers University
Active acoustic technologies for monitoring fish and zooplankton abundance,
distribution, and behavior. What can fancy fish finders really do? – Joe Warren, Stony Brook University
Observations of the use of arrays for passive acoustic monitoring of vocalizing
baleen whales – Vince Premus, ThayerMahan
insight into the acoustic behavior of large whales: one acoustic tag at a time
– Susan Parks, Syracuse University
Panel Discussion
Session 9 Oral Presentations: Ecosystem Linkages and Forecasting
Moderator:
Laura Morse, JASCO
Investigating prey fields near foraging right whales in and adjacent to the
southern New England wind areas – Christopher Orphanides, NOAA
Multi-decadal changes in seabird and forage fish distributions in the
Northwest Atlantic – Evan Adams, Biodiversity Research Institute
Modeling distribution shifts of small odontocetes in the Northeast United
States – Nathan Hirtle, Stony Brook University
Subseasonal forecasts as a powerful tool for dynamic mammal monitoring
and management – Julia Stepanuk, Biodiversity Research Institute
Near real-time North Atlantic right whale density model – Jason Roberts, Duke University
Session 10 Symposium: The Use of Acoustic Telemetry for Monitoring the Effects of Offshore Wind Development Along the U.S. East Coast
Moderators:
Chris Sarro, Greg DeCelles, Orsted
​Organizers: Chris Sarro and Greg DeCelles, Orsted
This symposium will highlight how acoustic telemetry is being used to monitor
changes in behavior, distribution and movement of marine fish and invertebrate
species in response to offshore development.
Session introduction with general overview of acoustic telemetry – Chris
Sarro/Greg DeCelles
Evaluating space use of elasmobranchs before offshore wind farm
infrastructure installation – Bradley Peterson, Stony Brook University
Utilization of acoustic telemetry as a regional non-extractive approach for
monitoring protected, prohibited, and commercially/recreationally important
fishes within Offshore Wind Lease Areas within the Mid-Atlantic Bight – Keith
Dunton, Monmouth University
Evaluating the performance of a fine-scale acoustic positioning system to
monitor fish behavior along the Ørsted South Fork Wind Farm subsea cable
route – Michael Frisk, Stony Brook University
Tracking the Fine-Scale Movements of Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus)
and American Lobster (Homarus americanus) at a Wind Farm Export Cable
Site with Acoustic Telemetry – Matthew Sclafani, Cornell University
Using acoustic telemetry to assess interactions between offshore wind
development and cod spawning on Cox Ledge – Ali Frey, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
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Go with the flow: Creating and maintaining a developer-funded acoustic
telemetry monitoring framework in southern New England – Connor
Capizzano, INSPIRE Environmental
Session 11 Symposium: New York, New York: The Interface Between Science & Offshore Wind Policy in a Dynamic Ecosystem
Moderator:
Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society
​Organizers: Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society and Jennifer Dupont, Equinor
This symposium provides targeted project results for small and large cetaceans and
includes a discussion on how collaboration between researchers and developers has improved the use of our science.
Setting the stage: An overview of our research and the interface of science with
policy/best practices – Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society
A deeper dive: Seasonal occurrence of four large whale species from 2016-
2024 in the Empire Wind area; moving beyond detection of single cell types for
large whales to increase detection probability – Melinda Rekdahl, Carissa King-Nolan, Wildlife Conservation Society
Evaluating the efficacy of real-time passive acoustic monitoring near offshore
wind energy development activities to help mitigate risks to North Atlantic
right whales – Mark Baumgartner, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Tying it all together: What do these findings mean for policy and best practice
around development activities? – Jennifer Dupont, Equinor
Panel Discussion
Session 12 Symposium: Bats and Offshore Wind: Addressing Three Critical Needs for Effective Management
Video Link
Moderator:
Nate Fuller
Organizers: Nate Fuller, USWFS, Jeff Clerc, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Laura Dempsey, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
This session will focus on three broad categories of critical research needs: natural history, anthropogenic effects, and minimization, with the goal to address the current state of the science for each category.
Talks from:
Nate Fuller, USWFS
Laura Dempsey, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Michael Whitby, Bat Conservation International
Q&A and panel discussion will also include Cris Hein, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Session 13: Lightning Talks
Video Link
Moderator:
Brian Dresser, Tetra Tech
Ecological innovations in Dutch offshore wind farm projects: a case study of Shell’s contributions – Candice Cook-Ohryn, Shell Energy
Engineering offshore wind farms to promote nature development – Remment ter Hofstede, Van Oord DMC
Evaluating potential commercial fishing impacts in Attentive Energy One’s lease area – Matthew Bingham, Veritas Economics
Pre-construction monitoring of hydrography, copepods, other zooplankton, fish, and other nekton at the Sunrise Wind lease area – Joe Warren, Stony Brook University
Sampling offshore bat activity with an unscrewed surface vehicle – Michael Whitby, Bat Conservation International
Modeling uncertainty in Great black-backed gull movement in order to accurately quantify risk to offshore wind – Esther Nosazeogie, Stony Brook University
Session 14 Symposium: Perspectives on Collison Risk Models
Moderator:
Evan Adams, Biodiversity Research Institute
Organizers: Evan Adams, Andrew Gilbert, Holly Goyert, Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute; Aonghais Cook, The Biodiversity Consultancy; Pamela Loring, USFWS
This symposium will compare approaches for using Collision Risk Models (CRMs) in several jurisdictions (United States, United Kingdom, and Australia).
Review of types of collision risk models currently in use around the world – Aonghais Cook, The Biodiversity Consultancy
The regulatory context of collision model usage in the United Kingdom – Julie Miller, The Scottish Government
The United States regulatory use of collision risk models – Stephanie Vail-Muse, USFWS
Using movement data to inform collision risk models for endangered species in the U.S. Atlantic  – Andrew Gilbert, Biodiversity Research Institute
New types of collision risk models implemented in Australia – Elizabeth Stark, Symbolix
Panel Discussion
Session 15: Lightning Talks
Moderator:
Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society
Evaluating the environmental performance of a newly designed ecological scour protection unit – Yaeli Rosenberg, ECOncrete
A framework for monitoring ecosystem effects and impacts to ocean users of floating offshore wind infrastructure – Casey Yanos, Maine Department of Marine Resources
Application of hydrodynamic and agent-based modeling techniques in the New York Bight – Sarah Courbis, Worley Consulting
Enhancing precision in environmental impact assessments: a comparative analysis of LiDAR with alternative methods for assessing collision risk for offshore wind – Cameron Bullen, APEM Ltd.
Collating acoustic and visual data for assessing humpback whale presence in the New York Bight: a case study – Sarah Trabue, Wildlife Conservation Society
Drone-based photogrammetry reveals differences in humpback whale body condition across North Atlantic foraging grounds – Chelsi Napoli, Stony Brook University
Evaluating drivers of recent large whale strandings on the US east coast – Lesley Thorne, Stony Brook University
Session 16 Symposium: Implementing a Bird and Bat Tracking Research Framework with the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind
Moderator:
Pamela Loring, USFWS
Organizers: Pam Loring and Nate Fuller, USFWS
This symposium will provide a forum for information sharing and facilitated discussions of current progress and objectives.
Talks from:
Pamela Loring, USFWS
Nate Fuller, USFWS
Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Patrick Roberts, USFWS
Moderator:
Morgan Brunbauer, NYSERDA
Best practices regarding Indigenous engagement within the offshore wind industry - Lucas Shumaker and Kelsey Leonard, University of Waterloo
Session 18 Oral Presentations: Wildlife Survey Design and Analysis
Video Link
Moderator:
Juliet Lamb, The Nature Conservancy
A comparison of visual and image aerial surveys for marine mammals and sea turtles in the New York Offshore Planning Area – Debra Palka, NOAA
A novel approach to account for availability bias when estimating porpoise abundance from digital video aerial surveys – Kelly Macleod, HiDef Aerial Surveying
Application of a Bayesian hierarchical density surface model to estimate seasonal abundance of large whales in wind energy areas off the east coast – Doug Sigourney, NOAA
Guidance for detecting changes in marine bird distributions and habitat use related to offshore wind development in the United States – Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute
Assessing study design options for post-construction avian displacement in the New York Bight – Julia Stepanuk, Biodiversity Research Institute
Session 19 Symposium: Building Sustainable Offshore Wind Futures Through Collaborative Research Programs
Video Link
Moderator:
Ivan Savitsky, The Carbon Trust
Organizer: Olivia Burke, The Carbon Trust
A panel of experts will explore the concept of collaborative programs in practice (case study presentations) and discuss how these programs are coordinating and collectively driving meaningful interactions between offshore developers and other co-uses of marine space.
Introduction – Ivan Savitsky, The Carbon Trust
Cross-border collaboration – Ivan Savitsky, The Carbon Trust
Supporting the organized delivery of funding – Emily Shumchenia, RWSC
A model to bring diverse ocean users and stakeholders, including communities, private and public sector together – Katy Bland, NERACOOS
Expert support to build a strong and future-proof industry – Julia Dombrowski, National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium
Efficiently addressing community concerns – Mike Pol, ROSA
Session 20 Oral Presentations: Changes to Fisheries and Ecosystems
Video Link
Moderator:
Brendan Runde, The Nature Conservancy
Characterizing the offshore wind farm impacts on NOAA fisheries survey data quality for key Mid-Atlantic fisheries – Ming Sun, Stony Brook University
60 years of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl survey: maintaining a long-running series in the face of growing uncertainty – Catherine Foley, NOAA
Evaluating potential recreational fishing impacts in Attentive Energy One’s lease area – Jason Kinnell, Veritas Economics
Modeling interactions among commercial shellfish fishing in wind energy by using a stakeholder-informed agent-based approach – Daphne Munroe, Rutgers University
Regional compensation for fisheries: a new approach to mitigation – Kris Ohleth, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind
Session 21 Symposium: Progression Towards an Integrated Ecosystem-based Approach to Assessing Environmental Impacts of Offshore Energy Development
Moderator:
Kristen Strellec, BOEM
Organizers: Jacob Levenson, Jennifer Bosyk, and Stephanie Webb, BOEM
A panel of experts from various institutions to share developments in the available modeling tools used in forecasting available environmental impacts.
Talks from:
Jacob Levenson, BOEM
Andrew Lipsky, NOAA
Howard Townsend, NOAA
Ethan Deyle, Boston University
Beth Fulton, CSIRO
Friday, July 19th
Session 22 Oral Presentations: Mitigation Approaches for Wildlife and Fisheries
Moderators:
Carl LoBue, The Nature Conservancy
Acoustic and environmental monitoring during turbine installation at South Fork Wind Farm – Arthur Newhall, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Scale model testing of biodiversity enhancing scour protections for offshore wind foundations and cables – Stendert Laan, Deltares
Designing offshore wind pile driving to minimize Level A take estimates – Cormac Booth, SMRU Consulting
Session 23 Symposium: State of the Policy: Building an Enabling Environment to Support the Delivery of Biodiversity Positive Outcomes Requires the Interface of Science and Policy
Moderator:
Tricia Jedele, The Nature Conservancy
A forum to synthesize net positive impact (NPI) related from other State of the Science symposia, to support the interface of science and policy by discussing how the policies that are unfolding support NPI objectives and discuss how spatial tools might be used to verify the identification of priority species and habitats. Brief presentations and panel discussion with:
Tricia Jedele, The Nature Conservancy
Shayna Steingard, National Wildlife Federation
Kate McClellan Press, NYSERDA
Anthony Dvarskas, Orsted
Joel Southall, RWE
Marta Ribera, The Nature Conservancy
Emily Shumchenia, RWSC
Session 24 Oral Presentations: New Technologies
View Link
Moderator:
Colleen Brust, NJ Marine Resources Adminstration
Using autonomous gliders to understand patterns and drivers of habitat use for baleen whales in the New York Bight – Katherine Gallagher, Stony Brook University
Integration of non-extractive environmental DNA in monitoring potential impacts of offshore wind development – Jason Adolf, Monmouth University
Machine learning and high performance computing for the detection and classification of marine wildlife in digital aerial imagery – Kyle Landolt, USGS
Technology gaps for monitoring birds and marine mammals at offshore wind facilities – Sarah Courbis, Worley Consulting
Marine Observer: Empire Wind case study of long wave infrared camera vessel deployment to detect large whales – Audrey Bard, Equinor
Exploring eDNA as a non-extractive technique for long-term monitoring of marine communities in offshore wind developments – Carmen Bernett, Invenergy
Session 25 Symposium: State of the Science: The Applications of Compensatory Mitigation and Voluntary Conservation Measures to Achieve No Net Loss or Net Gain to Birds Impacted by Offshore Wind Energy Projects
Video Link
Moderator:
Holly Goyert, Biodiversity Research Institute
Organizers: Holly Goyert, Kate Williams, Wing Goodale, Evan Adams, Biodiversity Research Institute; Kim Peters, Orsted; Scott Johnston, USFWS, and Caleb Spiegel, USFWS.
This symposium aims to identify existing research efforts that integrate impact assessment with compensatory mitigation and/or voluntary offsets.
Introduction – Holly Goyert, Biodiversity Research Insitute
USFWS approaches to compensatory mitigation, and considerations on net gain strategies –Scott Johnston, USFWS
Conceptual overview of the methods available to quantify compensation – Aspen Ellis, University of California Santa Cruz
Applications of identifying offsite offsets and acceptable levels of impact from collision with onshore wind energy in emerging markets – Aonghais Cook (presenting for Dave Wilson), The Biodiversity Consultancy
Habitat and resource equivalency analyses as potential approaches for net-positive biodiversity estimation – Anthony Dvarskas, Orsted
Research to underpin policies designed to offset impacts from offshore wind and achieve net gain in the UK – Kate Searle, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Session 26 Discussion: Compensatory Mitigation & Biodiversity Positive Approaches in the Marine Environment
Moderator:
Holly Goyert, Biodiversity Research Insitute; Tricia Jedele, The Nature Conservancy
​Facilitated panel discussion on the state of the science and policy on compensatory mitigation and biodiversity-positive approaches in the marine environment (continuation of Sessions 23 and 25)
Photo credits: Banner offshore wind farm © Nicholas Doherty; Loggerhead sea turtle © Kate Sutherland; Whale and birds © Humberto Braojos; Benthic habitat © Arhnue Tan; Offshore wind farm © Chuyuss